The Dublin government has effectively shelved the peace process
until after the British general election by declaring political
war on Sinn Féin.

Faced with the possibility of Sinn Féin soon becoming the
largest party in the northern Six Counties and gaining the
balance of power after the next general election in the South,
the 26-County Prime Minister, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has made
abundantly clear his intention to fight the party’s rise at the
expense of peace efforts.

On Tuesday, Ahern was accused by the Sinn Féin leadership in
their first meeting of the year of failing to back up his recent
allegations linking them to criminality. But on Wednesday, in
parliament, Ahern defiantly directed fresh allegations at Sinn
Féin’s five TDs, accusing them of having knowledge of IRA
actions, including alleged punishment beatings.

He claimed the attacks were being “turned on and off” to
coincide with the progress of peace talks. Sinn Féin’s leader in
the Dail, Caoimhghin O Caolain, fired back, accusing Ahern of
seeking a distraction from the imprisonment this week of his
onetime Cabinet ally, Ray Burke.

The public acrimony demonstrated the major deterioration in the
relationship between the Government and Sinn Féin in the past
year. This deterioration is being linked to the importance (in
the view of the Dublin and London governments) of boosting the
election prospects of the rival nationalist SDLP in the British
Westminster election, which could be called as early as next
month.

Mr Ahern also appeared to bemoan the fact that the peace process
has moved Sinn Féin them to the centre of politics in the 26
Counties.

He said Sinn Féin used to be a party with 2 per cent support,
but the “tolerance and encouragement” extended to them by his
party and other parties in the House had allowed them to develop
a significant electoral mandate.

And speaking directly to the Sinn Féin leader in the Dail,
Caoimhghin O Caolain, the Taoiseach said “you and some of your
friends” had carried out a series of alleged punishment beatings
in Belfast.

O Caolain responded by accusing the Taoiseach of making
“continual outbursts and allegations” to smear Sinn Féin. He
said the Taoiseach was “abusing his position without evidence”.

“I wish to make it very clear that I reject criminality in all
its forms,” said O Caolain. “Would the Taoiseach be able to make
that statement as clearly before the House?

“With respect to the Taoiseach, I think he has a neck on him,
trying to label any other political party with the criminality
tag when one looks at the daily unfolding reality in respect of
his own political party.

He again called on Mr Ahern to provide the evidence for his
charge linking the Sinn Féin leadership to a bank raid in
Belfast last month.

“Everybody knows that we represent competing parties in respect
of not only general elections but all other electoral endeavours
in this State. It has become ever more apparent that with the
realisation that Sinn Féin presents a real and substantial
threat to the Taoiseach’s party at the polls in this State that
he has more and more moved - as I see it - a situation where he
seeks to misrepresent Sinn Féin intent.

“I do not believe for a moment that his continual outbursts and
allegations have anything to do with a bank robbery in Belfast
but everything to do with votes in Ballybough and Ballyconnell
and everywhere else throughout this jurisdiction.”

Meanwhile, hardline unionist Ian Paisley has signalled that even
if the IRA decommissions and ends paramilitary and criminal
activity, it could be well into 2006 before he would allow a
power-sharing administration in the North

The DUP leader has also, predictably, upped his demands of the
IRA.

“There will have to be full, complete and transparent
decommissioning with witnesses and the production of immediate
photographic evidence. Nothing short of that will be sufficient
to build confidence with the law-abiding community in Northern
Ireland,” said Dr Paisley.

“Secondly, all terrorist and criminal activities conducted by
Sinn Féin/IRA must cease and the criminal and paramilitary
machinery abandoned,” he added.

And the British Prime Minister Tony Blair has again raised the
possibility of moving further away from the 1998 Good Friday
Agreement.

Mr Blair said there could no longer be a question of the
republican movement being in a process of transition: “People
have to decide: they are either part of the democratic process
or they are not. That moment of decision has long since passed
and it has simply got to be clear whether people have made their
decision or not.”

He said: “If it proves impossible to go forward on that
inclusive basis we will have to look for another way forward, it
is as simple as that.”

The Sinn Féin leadership is due to meet Mr Blair at Chequers on
Friday morning.

KELLY IN US TALKS

Meanwhile, the ongoing difficulties were discussed as a Sinn
Féin delegation held meetings with US Congressmen as part of a
visit to Washington DC.

The delegation spoke to Congressmen from both the Democratic and
Republican parties who form the bipartisan Friends of Ireland
group on Capitol Hill.

Yesterday evening, the delegation, led by Gerry Kelly, met
officials from the State Department.

Mr Kelly said after the meeting that he had reiterated his
party’s position that it believed the IRA did not carry out the
robbery. He also said he was assured there was ‘no issue’ over
the granting of US visas to Sinn Féin activists.

It has also emerged that the annual St Patrick’s Day White House
reception to which Irish party leaders, including Sinn Féin,
have been invited in the past is likely to take place again this
year.

Speculation that the reception might be cancelled to allow
President Bush to avoid Gerry Adams in the wake of the bank raid
controversy appears to have been without foundation.

* Celtic fans have accused Scottish police of harassment after
a number travelling from Belfast to a weekend soccer game were
stopped and questioned about the Northern Bank raid.

The fans were asked if they knew who was involved in robbery.
Fathers and mothers bringing their kids through ports over the
weekend were also asked details about their children and other
members of their families.

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